Empties: Products We Used Up | June 2014

Hello, Lovelies! I don't know about you, but I love watching the Empties videos from my favorite beauty gurus on YouTube. I really enjoy discovering new products, and usually if it's in a Empties video it obviously worked for them and they like it a lot. I've tried all sorts of different products from recommendations I've seen on YT and beauty blogs.

I decided to start saving all of our empty health and beauty care containers too. Since we use lots of different products everyday, I thought it would be cool to share the stuff our family goes through each month. This will be another fun series...

I keep all of our empty packages and containers in a large metal bucket that I thrifted from our local Goodwill last year. It was only $.99! How could I pass it up? Pink happens to be my favorite color, and the saying and image couldn't be more perfect. It's gotten a couple scratches over time, but no big deal... it is holding trash! I added an "Empties" tag secured with twine just in case someone mistakes it for the actual garbage can.

THE PRODUCTS WE USED UP IN JUNE

• Cleansing Towelettes Makeup Remover Wipes by Up & Up [$3.64 from Target]: This was just okay for me. It didn't work any better than the standard baby wipes that I use to remove my makeup sometimes. But the main reason I didn't like it is because it isn't very gentle. It actually burned my sensitive skin a bit.
• Foamin' Fun Shampoo & Bodywash in Lavender by BabyGanics [$9.99 from Target]: Our daughter has been a "green" baby since she was in the womb. And the only things that touch her skin are made from organic and natural ingredients. The handy pump on this product disperses foamy soap that serves double-duty as a shampoo and body wash! It's the 3rd bottle we've gone through... definitely a favorite!
• Fresh High Endurance Deodorant by Old Spice [3 oz / $3.97 from Walmart]: The Hubby really likes this brand's antiperspirant and deodorant. He's gone through hundreds of these over the last decade! Walmart sells them as a 2-pack at a really affordable price.
• Macadamia Oil Shampoo by Organix [13 fl oz / $4.99 from Fred Meyer]: I'm currently finishing up a huge bottle of Cleansing Conditioner by Wen, but once a week I give my hair a really good shampooing. I've used this brand for years and have tried many of the different lines. This one is for dry and damaged hair. OGX is also eco-friendly and cruelty-free!
• NYC Liquid Eyeliner in Black [.17  fl oz / $2.74 from Walmart]: I've repurchased this so many times! It's not a favorite, but I do like it. The applicator is really easy to work with and the black formula has a pearly finish.

• Colgate Total Whitening Gel Toothpaste [6 oz / $2.96 from Walmart]: This is the only toothpaste we ever purchase. Although we've tried many different kinds, it's the one we always go back to. It leaves our whole mouth feeling fresh and clean all day long.
• Gentle Saline Wipes for Stuffy Noses by Boogie Wipes [10 ct. / $1.00 from Dollar Tree]: We'll purchase this over and over again as long as our little one lets us wipe her nose. If you're a parent, you know with kids comes runny noses. And you also know what that leads too... These handy little wipes clean stubborn boogies and soothe sore little noses. Always prepared, we keep one of these 10 ct. travel packs in our car, another one in my handbag, and a 30 ct. pack at home!
• Deep Action Exfoliating Scrub by Clean & Clear [5 oz / $4.99 from Target]: We've been using this for years. It's one of the few products that we ALWAYS buy when we run out! The reason we love this one so much is because of the tingly sensation you get when you apply it. We've tried so many other facial exfoliating scrubs, but none of them are quite like this one. It's a MUST-HAVE! And our skin feels so clean and smooth after we use it.
• Homeopathic Cold 'n Cough 4 Kids by Hyland's [4 oz / $4.99 from Walmart]: Generations of children in my family have used this natural health care line. And this is another one of those products that we repurchase when it's gone. When she gets sick I feel safe letting her take this, and it's just as effective as the other brands of cold medicine available for children.
• Homeopathic Cold 'n Cough 4 Kids Nighttime by Hyland's [4 oz / $4.99 from Walmart]: This is a great companion to the product I previously mentioned. It really helps her sleep and she doesn't wake up feeling groggy. The multi-symptom formula soothes all of her discomforts.

That's the last of it! I hope you enjoyed today's post :) Be sure to check back next month for July's Empties! In the meantime, feel free to browse my other Beauty posts. You can also stay updated on my recent posts, projects, and photos by following me on instagram, or by "liking" my fan page on Facebook. So why not head over there now and show some love...

Have you tried any of the products I mentioned? Any thoughts, questions, or comments about this post? I'd love to hear it! Your feedback is always welcome and much appreciated.

Thanks for stopping by!

2014: Life | June Favorites

Hello, Lovelies! Are you enjoying this beautiful Summer sunshine? I'm absolutely loving it! And I thought today would be a great time to share a few of my favorite things from June. I think this will be the start of a fun monthly series where I get to talk about my beauty, makeup, fashion and entertainment loves!

The weather started warming up a bit here so I went with simple and natural makeup. But I really wanted to play around with color too! Lips and nails are the best canvases. I ROCKED hot pink! It's the perfect pop of color for me.

And I'm not only loving beauty products... colorful cotton tank tops are a staple in my wardrobe. On those sunny sleeveless days, I like to wear bold and fun accessories too! What do you think of my watch?

It's been a pretty laid-back summer. Fun exploring the great outdoors. Chillaxin' in the comfort of our home. And during those nights in, we love to watch movies together on the flat screen. Redbox is our DVD rental provider of choice, but Netflix is our best friend! We've enjoyed this service for so many years. It can be watched on all of our devices... even in the living room on Xbox Live! There are so many different things to see. I love having long weekend marathons when I discover a new TV show! Want to know my favorite one this month?

THE DETAILS

BEAUTY

• Super Beblesh Balm (BB Cream) for Combination/Oily Skin by SKIN79 [$14.95 from Amazon] | This Korean BB cream is so different compared to Western brands. I love it! Product review coming soon.
• Sweet Almond Oil 100% Pure Moisturizing Oil by Now Foods [$4.99 from Central Market] | A holy grail product! Once a week I let my hair sit in this stuff overnight.
• The Rocket Volum' Express Mascara in Blackest Black by Maybelline [$4- on Sale at Target] | With just 2 coats it separates, lengthens, and gives your lashes volume, all without clumping!
• Brow Wiz in Brunette by Anastasia Beverly Hills [$21- from sephora.com] | This pencil allows me to lightly and easily shape and fill my sparse brows for a complete but natural look.
• Blender Brush - EB 13 by Sedona Lace [Value: $9.95 - Sample from BeautyBox5] It's perfect. Very high quality! So awesome for BB5 to include it for June! That unboxing will be up here soon...
• NAKED Basics Palette by Urban Decay [$28- at sephora.com] | Incredibly versatile. Create simple and natural everyday looks to dramatic and sultry smoky eyes.
• Kalinka Beauty Blush in East Side Story by Essence [$2.99 at Fred Meyer] | This lovely coral shade brings life to my face.
• HD Studio Finishing Powder by NYX [Retail Value: $9.99 - A Gift] | I use it alone on no-makeup days, as well as on my T-zone after applying BB cream. My glasses make my nose super oily so this really helps combat shine!
• Complexion Brush from Studio Line by e.l.f. [$2.50 from TJ Maxx] | I love it for any face powders!
• Colorsensational Vivids Lipstick in Fuschia Flash by Maybelline [$4.99 from Walmart] | I adore this color! It's my kind of pink. I saw somewhere that it's a dupe for MAC's Candy Yum Yum.
• 5-in-1 Lip Protectant Cube in Pomegranate-Blueberry by Softlips [Value: $3.49 - Freebie from Influenster] | I've officially replaced my eos lip balm. This one is awesome!
• Nail Polish in Daredevil by Sinful Colors [$1.99 from Walmart] | A bright and vivid hot pink that's perfect for summer. It's a fabulous shade on toes!

FASHION

• Ribbed Cotton Tank Tops by Mossimo & No Boundaries [<$5-/each at Target & Walmart] | My drawers are stocked with fun and colorful solids and prints. They are so affordable and work great with any summer outfit. I live in them!
• Leather Cuff Band Watch in Punk Rock Floral Design by Nemesis [$34.95 from Amazon] | The hubby knows my style so well. This gorgeous piece of arm candy was a birthday gift!

MOVIES

Son of God

Released on DVD June 2014

If you read the bible or grew up with bible stories, you're really going to enjoy it! This adaptation is amazing... it brought tears to my eyes. We had the pleasure of seeing this when it originally aired as a series called The Bible on The History Channel late last year. We then found it on Netflix a few months ago. It had a run on the big screen for a short time as Son of God and then released on DVD for everyone this month.

TV

My regular shows are on break until next season, but Netflix has been such a good friend. I discovered a new show called The Killing, and finished all 3 seasons throughout the month of June! TV shows featuring the Pacific NW are my favorite, and this one takes place in Seattle [just a 45 minute ferry ride from me]. 

I really love dark, gritty, crime dramas, and intense cop shows filled with dynamic relationships and flawed characters. Unfortunately, this show was cancelled by the original network [AMC] in 2013, but Netflix picked up the final season which airs August 1, 2014. Finally... I can't wait to see how it all ends. The Season 3 finale was a real cliffhanger!

MUSIC

Throughout the warmer spring and summer months [or anytime, really] all you'll find me listening to is Feel Good Island Music. We call it "JaWaiian", or Hawaiian Reggae. The mellow beats and soulful lyrics relaxes my mind and body, and reminds me to take it easy and just enjoy life. Want to hear a sampling of my playlist? You can find it here. [Just click the Play Audio button on the bottom left of the screen.]

Wow! That was A LOT of stuff! I really hope you enjoyed today's post and discovered something new along the way. And feel free to browse my other Beauty posts! 

You can also stay updated on my recent posts, projects, and photos by following me on instagram, or by "liking" my fan page on Facebook. So why not head over there now and show some love...

What did you think of my June Favorites? Are you familiar with anything I mentioned today? Any thoughts, questions, or comments about this post? I'd love to hear it! Your feedback is always welcome and much appreciated.

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy 5th Birthday, Kiani!

Today is the 4th of July and people all over the USA will be honoring the birth of this country... but our family has another reason to celebrate. Because our beautiful daughter Kiani was born today too! She's quite the little firecracker ;) Watching our baby girl grow into the smart, loving, and fiesty child that we know today has been such an adventure! She means the world to me...

When I became a parent I realized how important it is to love unconditionally, cherish each moment, and to celebrate life. Everyday I thank God for our blessings. And today our family gives thanks to all of the brave people who fight for our country, so that we can live in this beautiful place we call home.

Happy Independence Day, America!

Have a safe and fun holiday weekend with your friends and loved ones.

...and Happy Birthday, Kiani!

We love you to the moon and back.

Tonight... all of the fireworks in the sky burn for you.

Filofax: Planning On-The-Go

Hello July!

Summer is here... which means lots of planning, day trips, and mini vacations. But if you're anything like me, you just want a simple way to store your Filofax supplies for traveling or everyday use. My  "To-Go" bag holds an A5 Original and a couple of travel pouches plus a purse organizer. It's portable, which means I can take it with me anywhere I go, even around the house when I'm working in different rooms.

I know Filofax posts are among the favorites on my blog, so I thought it would be fun to show you how I use my planner on-the-go. Keep in my mind that these are just the things I use the most on a day-to-day basis. I felt it was easier to keep them all together in one place. Instead of buying new supplies, I just change out the stickers, notepads, pens or stickies for the extra ones in my collection.

Figuring out what works for you and personalizing everything to suit your style is what makes "life planning" so much fun! Feel free to customize what I've done to make it more You...

*WARNING: This is a photo-heavy post! So bookmark it for later or kick back and relax. I hope it inspires you...

I use the same hot pink, see-through studded bag all year-round to hold my Filofax pouches and supplies. It's bright and fun for every season and the perfect size to hold everything I need. [Pink Shopping Bag by Penny Sue, $19.99 from Tuesday Morning] Inside I have my planner and pencil pouches, along with a purse organizer that holds lots of other fun goodies!

This is my most used pencil pouch that has all of my basic planning supplies. [Hot Pink Multi-Purpose Case by Cosmos, $2.99 from Amazon] I've had it for over a year and it is still in really good shape. I know that lots of people complain about these pouches ripping apart, but I haven't had that problem since I don't overstuff it. Jam-packing it until it's ripping at the seams will definitely cause it to fall apart easily!

A sequined patch [gifted to me] pulls double-duty, by adding a sweet personal touch and to cover up the lime green logo that was there.

This butterfly pouch has lots of different pockets to hold everything from pens to sticky notes. It's so easy to organize all of the little bits and pieces.

I tuck fun arrow flags, post-its, magnetic clips, notepaper and labels into the pockets on one side.

Here I have each of the pens I use for my color-coding system, along with florescent sticky flags in various shapes and sizes.

There's even a large zipper pocket where I keep random tags, labels, and stickers.

My second pencil pouch came courtesy of Cool Pencil Case. It's not too big and easily fits into my everyday handbag if I need to pack only a few planning essentials. I especially love the saying on the front... it always makes me smile.

Although it doesn't have as many pockets as my other one, it still comes in handy. I'm currently using this butterfly pouch to hold extra pens and supplies.

In the large zippered pocket I have a few sets of cute Hawaiian sticky tabs [gifted to me]. The tall pocket has some colorful Sharpies and pens, and the elastic strip holds a couple of adorable page marker sets [gifted to me].

I also use a cool little bag to hold my pencil pouches (or just a Filofax) and other fun goodies. It goes with all of my pink supplies and has a ton of pockets! [Nylon Handbag Insert in Pink, $3.44 from Amazon]

This bag organizer can easily slim down, if need be. When empty, the sides snap together on the top and bottom, taking up less space in your bag.

It was so much fun picking and choosing different items to fill the pockets! On the front and back, I have sticky note pads and sets, washi tape samples, and a multi-color pen.

Inside the bag, there are two large zipper pockets that can hold just about anything!

In one, I have super cute dimensional stickers plus a pouch full of even more stickers!

In the other zippered pocket I have extra diary/calendar stickers, page markers, and sticky flags.

You can really do anything you want with these different travel bags. Choose to fill them with items that work for you and ones that you use everyday. Mix things up when you need a change! What motivates you to stay on top of your planning? Fun stationery? Bright colors? Cute characters? I choose all of the above!

That's all I have for you today! I hope you enjoyed this and leave here feeling inspired :) Feel free to browse my other Filofax posts or my completed planner pages here. Or check out my SMASH* & Project Life Travel Bag! You can also stay updated on my recent posts, projects, and photos by following me on instagram, or by "liking" my fan page on Facebook.

How do you plan on-the-go? Any thoughts, questions, or comments about this post? I'd love to hear it! Your feedback is always welcome and much appreciated.

Mahalo for stopping by!

Spring Beauty Must-Haves

I know.... it's been a while. Sorry about that. 

This is a new year. A time for change. Change is good. And today, I've decided to step outside of my typical niche here in blogger world. I'll be delving into another one of my passions... beauty and skincare. I haven't talked about it much since I started blogging back in February of last year. But it has always been something I wanted to share with people. I only write about what I know and love... and this stuff makes me smile.

I'm rekindling my love for makeup. For the last decade I've just been an all-natural, no makeup kind of girl. I used eyeliner, mascara, lippies [I love lip products!], and skincare stuff. I'm in no way a Beauty Guru. Far from it! I look to others for inspiration and love trying new things. I watch beauty videos on youtube like a junkie! I've been experimenting with foundation, playing with false lashes, trying out fun colors on my lips, eyes, and nails. And I've hauled some amazing budget friendly makeup and beauty goodies. You know how frugal I am ;)

I thought it would be fun to share this adventure in my life. I'm still up to my old ways with scrapbooking, Filofaxing, and crafting.... just not as intensely! This year, I've been focusing more on myself, my husband, and my family. Hence the hiatus.... But now I'm back. With plenty of new things to talk about too! So stay tuned...

Since it's Spring, I thought now is the perfect time to share my Beauty Must-Haves for the season. When the weather warms up here in the Pacific NW, I like to go for a minimalist [but pretty and fun] look when it comes to my beauty, makeup, and skincare routine. It's all about moisturized skin and lips, sunscreen, bright pops of color on the eyes, lips or nails, long flowy hair, and super fun accessories.

Here is what's in my Everyday Spring Bag:

• Jergens BB Body Lotion in Light Skin Types [I have Olive skin.] -- I bought the travel size at Target's Dollar Spot to test it out. It's pretty moisturizing, smells good, and is the perfect size to pop in my purse.
• Biore Pore Minimizing Lightweight Moisturizer with SPF 15 -- I received a small sample in a Target freebie makeup bag. It's perfect for everyday, especially when I'm out and about and going makeup-free and natural.
• Jordana Fabuliner in Black -- Easy to apply thick or thin lines and super black pigmentation. It stays on!
• Jordana 12HR Made to Last Liquid Eyeliner Pencil in Aqua Stone -- For days when I want to play up my eyes with a pop of color. Can be used on the upper and lower lash line! This is a brand new product that I haven't tried yet! Waiting for a sunny day...
• Maybelline The Rocket Volum' Express Mascara in Very Black? [The darkest available.] -- This product curls my short, straight lashes and makes them full, long, and separated without an eyelash curler.
• Dr. Rescue Baby Lips (Medicated) in Pink -- It's perfect for the unpredictable weather we have here in the springtime, and it provides subtle color for those days that I don't feel like wearing lipstick. It can also be used under lipstick!
• EOS Lip Balm in Pink Lemonade -- An everyday moisturizing lip balm with natural ingredients. Great under lipstick!
• NYX Lipsmacking Fun Colors in Hot Pink -- I've been playing with color this season and I absolutely adore pink lips! This pink is the bright pop of color that I crave.
• Jordana Twist & Shine Moisturizing Balm Stain in Tropical Frenzy -- I sometimes layer this bright pink or wear it all alone. It provides a pretty pop of color with staying power! I use it on the days when I know I'll be too busy to reapply.
• MAC Satin Lipstick in Cherish -- The perfect nude for those days I don't feel like wearing a colorful lip, or if I'm doing a bold eye.
• Essence Kalinka Beauty Blush in East Side Story -- A pretty coral shade that goes great with my nude lip days.
• ELF Essential Blush in Blushing -- For when I'm wearing my pink lips, of course!
• Matrix Sleek.Look Lockdown Spray -- I purchased a kit of this line years ago, and it came with a travel size spray bottle perfect for my handbag. It smooths frizzies and leaves my hair feeling soft and shiny.
• Makeup Bag -- I received this cute little bag from a Target freebie. It holds all of my Spring goodies perfectly.
• Compact/Mirror -- I don't usually carry a compact during the Spring because I go face makeup-free most days... so that leaves me without a mirror! I found a pretty pink double-mirror compact at one of my favorite discount stores on clearance. Score!
• A Hair Tie -- You'll never know if you need to put your hair up.
• Sunglasses -- No matter where you live, you gotta protect your eyes! I found my authentic Dolce & Gabbana shades on Amazon for a steal!

What's in your Spring Beauty Bag?

That's all I have for you today! I hope you enjoyed my first "Beauty" post and decide to follow me on my adventure ;) Please let me know what you think or if you have any questions. Be sure to stick around because I have lots of other new things to share with you!

*I'm a new ipsy Glam Bag subscriber anxiously waiting for my first bag to arrive next month. Super excited! I'll be sharing my first impression here and posting future bag reveals from ipsy. Stay tuned for details. Interested in subscribing to ipsy? Please use my link!

Are you into makeup, beauty, and skincare too? Have a favorite blog to share? Are you a newbie or a guru? I'd love to hear your thoughts and comments!

2014: Life | An Update

It's February already?!

I think it's a good time to share what has been going on the last couple of weeks during that unannounced hiatus from my blog and social media. But before I get to any of that, I wanted to first say mahalo to those who sent sweet messages and mail while I was away. Thankfully it wasn't anything serious.

I have to say, the new year started out wonderfully! Everything was on track the first couple of weeks, so I decided to take a little break from blogging before our vacation in Portland, OR to visit our family. I needed the extra time to get ready for our trip. And an awesome trip it was! We really enjoyed the change of scenery and the quality time with our loved ones. It always hard to leave....

But there is nothing like spending a fun weekend with family in Portland, only to come home and start the week with a 4-year-old and a stomach bug! Thankfully we made it home safe and sound. But I'd be lying if I said this past week wasn't tough. That yucky bug worked it's way through our entire family in a week! Taking care of them and nursing them back to health was my primary mission. As of now, the little one and the hubs is at 100%. Back to their old selves. Me. Almost there. I'm just happy to be back to "life." But I do admit, the extra rest was really nice :)

I haven't really touched any of my books lately. [It was rough, people!] Now I'm just making up for lost time. This week I'll be sharing the rest of January's Filofax layouts, and work on getting caught up with Project Life. Right now, I'm 2 weeks behind. I also have the remaining 365/30 Lists to share.

I'm hoping to be get caught up with all of my projects pretty quickly, because I have lots of fun stuff planned for February! It's one of my favorite months <3 You guys know how much I love pink. and hearts. and Love! This month you'll also see some new goodies and supplies... and even fun holiday projects! February is also my Blogoversary month :) To show my appreciation for a wonderful and successful year of blogging, I'm hosting another giveaway! Details to come.

image via tumblr

You can stay updated on my recent posts, projects, and photos by following me on instagram, or by "liking" my fan page on Facebook. So why not head over there now and show some love...

Is it hard for you to get back on track after spending time away from your blog or a project? Any thoughts, questions, or comments about this post? I'd love to hear it! Your feedback is always welcome and much appreciated!

Mahalo for stopping by!

Filofax: Staying Organized in 2014

Hope you're having a wonderful weekend! Based on some feedback by my readers [a poll running this month], a lot of you are interested in seeing more Filofax posts. You're in for a treat today! I'll be sharing some add-on inserts that I found while getting my planners ready for the new year :)

The set-up I used for 2013 in my A5 Original worked great. I had a super organized and productive year! So I'm not changing anything about my arrangement. [Take a peek Inside My A5 Original.] But this year I'm adding some handy inserts that I wish I had last year. It'll make staying organized that much easier...

Filofax: Ready for 2014

Today I'll be sharing some inserts that I added to my BLOG, PROJECTS, & HOUSEHOLD sections. I printed all of them at-home, using the A5 printer setting and  A5 paper that I cut from 8.5x11 sheets. To save on printing costs, I used only black ink. [I bring color into my pages with pretty pens, washi tape, and stickers.] They were all hand-punched [the hard way!]. If you have any recommendations on a paper puncher, I'd love to hear it! Looking to invest in one that punches Personal & A5...

...Now onto the good stuff!

BLOG

Following are a few inserts that I needed to keep track of my blog planning. Last year I used a seperate notebook... and it worked fine. But for 2014, it only made sense to have all of that info here in my A5 Filofax. Everything together all in one place... and no need to carry around another book!

WEEKLY PLANNING

2014 Filofax: Weekly Blog Planner Insert

"Weekly Blog Planner" by andcute.com

I use this insert to plan my weekly blog posts. I don't like my planners to be too bulky, so right now, I only printed up a single month's worth of pages. I also want to see how I like them before printing out a large batch.

BLOG PLANNING

2014 Filofax: Blog Planner Inserts

2014 Filofax: Blog Planner Inserts

"BLOG PLANNER" Inserts from One Tough Mother

These inserts were available for free until 12/31/13. [More info available in the link above.] They're pretty self-explanatory but incredibly handy and helpful. I printed all three pages double-sided to test them out. What's fun about printing your own inserts is being able to easily change things up. Next month I may give some other Blog Planner inserts a try. There are so many different designs and styles available for FREE!

PROJECTS

The same notebook that I used for my blog planning last year, I also used for my Project Life planning. Sketches. Layouts. Notes. Details. Ideas. I knew this year I wanted to include all of that stuff in my A5 Filofax, eliminating the need to carry around another book.

PROJECT LIFE PLANNER

2014 Filofax: Project Life Planner

2014 Filofax: Project Life Planner

2014 Filofax: Project Life Planner

"PROJECT LIFE JOURNAL" by Kelly Waterman

These inserts are really great! Definitely my favorite find! All of the details that I keep track of when planning my PL pages are right there on a single page. I have a place for my sketch, daily note sections, an "idea" box, and it even fill-ins for the current week and dates. There's also a seperate monthly calendar with the weeks marked. So fabulous! If I need to add any other specifics for the week, I'll use a sticky note or transparent flags.

HOUSEHOLD

I added a couple of new sheets to this section of my A5. These help track some details about our household's finances. Last year, I had various notes on separate stickies for each month. Now all of the important information is right here all on one sheet.

BILL PLANNER

2014 Filofax: Bill Planner Printable

"BILL PLANNER" from ZoeAtHome.com

I printed double-sided here. All 12 months fit perfectly on one sheet. Now all of the details about our household's bills and payments are right here. Very handy!

SAVING MONEY

One of my 2014 Goals. I found an incredibly simple challenge to help kick off our new plan! 

2014 Filofax: 52 Week Money Saving Challenge

"52 WEEK MONEY SAVING CHALLENGE" on Pinterest

This is such a great chart for understanding how very little is needed to start building for our financial future. A simple money saving challenge that our family is excited for! We're on a mission to make this project a success. [I use a pink highlighter to mark off my weeks.]

2014 Filofax: Staying Organized - Add-On Inserts

That's all I have for you today! I hope you enjoyed my post and found a few new things along the way :) Have you seen the inside of my  A5 Original, yet? Here is my Personal Domino. Don't forget about my weekly layouts! You can find all of them here. I also embarked on a new journey! See what I'm doing with 365/30 Lists. Looking for more planner inspiration? Browse my "Filofax Addict" pinboard on Pinterest. 

You can stay updated on my recent posts, projects, and photos by following me on instagram, or by "liking" my fan page on Facebook. So why not head over there now and show some love...

Are you using a planner to organize your life? Have you used any of these inserts? Any thoughts, questions, or comments about this post? I'd love to hear it! Your feedback is always welcome and much appreciated.

Thanks for stopping by!

Project Life: Hello, 2014!

Happy Saturday! I hope 2014 has gotten off to a great start for you. As for me, I spent this week getting all of my books ready for the new year! And today I'll be showing you my album setup for Project Life and my plans for 2014.

Completing PL in 2013 was a huge accomplishment for me! [You can view my album here.] And the hot pink WRMK album was fun and fabulous! But this year I kept it simple with a black American Crafts "Memorology" fabric album. Can you believe I picked it up for just $6.99 at Tuesday Morning?!

I decorated the front cover using scrapbook paper from my scrap stash... I had to include some pink in there! I also added a black heart cut on my Silhouette Cameo, and some black foam thickers by Amy Tangerine called "Wish."

I really learned a lot about my Project Life style last year. My pages were pretty eclectic! I didn't stick to any certain kit, mixed up designers and collections, varied my pocket pages, played with fun colors, cards, and elements, and used tons of instapics and free printables!

Since I love how last year's album came out, I don't think I'll do anything differently in this year's book. It will continue to showcase my fun and unique style! But I do plan on giving Monday-start a try, as well as using a variety of photo sizes instead of just square instagram pics, and by taking full advantage of my Silhouette Cameo.

I'm also using a helpful tool to plan this year's PL pages, rather than the lined notebook I previously used...

Having a Project Life Planner inside of my A5 Filofax is the smartest decision I made. No need to carry around another extra book! All of the info is right there with the other pages I use to keep my life organized.

I had tons of fun getting my album ready for 2014! With lots of new goodies to play with and cool ideas running through my head, I came up with this layout for my cover page...

I started with pretty patterned papers from Amy Tangerine and Dear Lizzy's 5th & Frolic. I embellished the cards with burlap thickers by American Crafts called "Hello", Amy Tangerine "Goodness" thickers, a Studio Calico wood veneer geotag, Dymo labels, and words, numbers, and elements cut on my Silhouette Cameo.

That's all I have for you today! Hope you enjoyed my post :) Stick around, because next week I'll be sharing my very first layout of the year!

You can stay updated on my recent posts, projects, and photos by following me on instagram, or by liking my fan page on Facebook. So why not over there now and show sime love...

Are you documenting 2014 with Project Life? Is your album ready yet? Any thoughts, questions, or comments about this post? I'd love to hear it! Your feedback is always welcome and much appreciated.

Thanks for stopping by!